Conduit.



G. J. ALPAUGH.

' CONDUIT.

unicum! FILED JULY 29, 191s.

1,094,109-, Patented Apr. 21, 1914 5 vio@ nto@ UNITED sTATEs PATENT ossion CLIFFORD JAMES ALPAUGH, F TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 THE TRENTON ELECTRIC AND CONDUIT COMTE'ANY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATON or NEW JERSEY. y y

1' o ali whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CLIFFORD J. ALPAUGH, a citizen of the United States of America; and residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of' New Jersey, have im.

., vented vcertain new 'and useful Improvements in Conduits, of-which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art toy which it appertains to make'and use ,the same.

My invention relates to conduits for elec-' trical conductors of such formation. as to avoid the necessity for fishing said oonductors therethrozugh and whereby access to said conductors is possible when desired.-

Ihe invention comprises a trough lilie memberl h'mgigng a bottom and hanged side walls, av'cover therefor, and a plurality of clips serving the dual purpose of locking the cover tothe main member and, when desired, for. holdingthe conduit to a fixed. part of a building, said cover being readily detachgible although it may be made in such manner as to be tensionally held tothe main member. l

My inventionV is fully set forth in the fol lowing specification, of which t e accomh panying drawings form a part, in which the separateparts are designated by the same reference characters 'in each of the views, andsin Whic'h:-

Figure l is a perspective view of a part of one section of a conduit constructed in Aaccordance' with my present invention; Fig. 2 is -a View of, one element thereof detached; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of a modification thereof. y l

In the drawingsforming a part of this application I have shown a conduit comprising a main, trough-like, member al having a bottom o2 and side walls af, each of which is provided with. 4an outwardly directed flange a* approximately centrally of the side walls, said flanges being preferably inclined in the direction of the bottom a2 and at right anglesto the side walls on their'I lower sides, for reasons later set forth.

In the form shown inr Figs. 1 and 2 I formi the portions of ythesidevwalls above'and below the flanges in linejwith each other and at right angles to the bottom a and provide a cover b formed of a top b2 and dependent side Walls 7) at right angles thereto, said side walls b3 being parallel and adapted to be sprung over the parallel portions of the Speciieaton'of Letters Iatent.

Application filed July 29, 1913.' Serial No. 781,866.

CONDUIT.

Patented Api*U l, 1914 side walls as above the flanges at whereby -a closed duct .is formed.

, c 'I have shown a plurality of clips formen of a top c2 and dependent side ineinbers c3 inwardly turned at ci parallel to the lower faces of the flanges of :ind-.beneath which said inwardly turned eiids are adapt ed to bear to look the member a., cover 3 and Clip c together, and the iianges ai are inclined on their upper faces-to pei-init the said inturned ends oil the clips to slide there over and thus force the same apart sui ciently far to pass over the outer ends of the flanges in the looking together of the parts, said clips being made of spring steel or the like, as will be understood.

As shownin full lines in the drawings the clips are perforated for screws whereby said clips may be separately secured to a. wall oi building in' the positions of the rafters or other fixed parts, and the oon"- duit proper being afterward sprung thereinto after the conductors liave been arranged therein, but the member L may he drilled for screwses indicated at d, and said mehr bei' be secured directly 'to the wall of 'the building tiret, after which the conductors and cover b are 'placed Ain position and then locked by means of the clips, and in this manner of use l prefer not to perforate the clips for screws.

The only difference between the forms shown in Figs. l and 3 resides in the a'ct that I channel the side wall z3 longitudinallj,1 of the conduitvabove the flanges a# and form the dependent members b3 in a similar manner whereby the main ine-m ber o and. cover b ardiensionally heldin# stead of, as in the form already described, frictioiially, this frequently being 'dcconsitlerable advantage-where the conductors can be arranged in the conduit previous to the installation-of the'conduit, but either form admits of the initial installation of either the member a or of the clips e, and in both forms the clips serve as positivelocliing means for the member 'a and cover ZJ.

It will be noted that the interior of my conduit is entirely clear of obstruct-ions, shoulders, or the like whiclimight tend to prevent the passage of conductors 'there`v` through or the injury of the insulation of said conductors, this being ay highly iinportant feature of conduits and, when the member a is perforated `for screws, said per foretioneere coentersunir for the :reception of the Screw heads in er to maintain this unobstructed @enduit interi-oi:

My invention ie very simple in construction, and 1n installation, is readily opened for inspection, or'repmr of the conductors,

and is avcomplete protection therefor in ae-y cordnce 'With present 'electrical require ments and, because of the overlapping sides of the main member end cover, as Well as of theclips c, no tool een be passed intothe conduit to endanger the' conductor insulation when the perte are assembled.

ri-Levin fully described my invention, what c aim new7 and, desire to secure by l cove? to seid mein member.

2. i conduit, comprising :fr mein member having; an open side una side Wells out- Wardly flanged 1nd etendin 1 u ll f f 'l Vdownwerdly beyond .seid flanges, a cever for said open'side having dependent sides resting against the upward side wall extensions, and clips engaged with. said flanges to lock said main member and cover to gether.

3. A. conduit, comprising a .ma-in member having en open side and side walls out- Wardly flanged intermediate the height thereof, a detachable cover for' said open side, und :t plurality of clips engaging said ianges for lookin seid main member and cover together, sind clips being perforated for screws for securing to the Walls oi n building.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my neme in presence of the subscribing witnesses .this 22nd day 4of July 191.3.

CLIFFORD JAMES ALPAUGH.

Witnesses:

HELEN M. MARION, KATHARINE L. NYMAN. l 

